With A Kiss
by Rosesdancinginmymind
Summary: I was just wondering if you could write a story where just as the curse was about to break Snow lunges, leading with her sword, and stabs Regina a few seconds after the curse breaks and then Emma, with Henry in tow, runs into the sheriffs office a few minutes later to find her true love seriously injured laying in Snow's arms - potterhead0013


_I was just wondering if you could write a story where just as the curse was about to break Snow lunges, leading with her sword, and stabs Regina a few seconds after the curse breaks and then Emma, with Henry in tow, runs into the sheriffs office a few minutes later to find her true love seriously injured laying in Snow's arms - potterhead0013_

_Thank you for the prompt. A short SQ oneshot. I don't own Once or its characters. Apologies for any mistakes. Hope you all enjoy :) _

"Always hiding behind magic," Snow taunts as she stands opposite the glaring Evil Queen. They're both under the influence of a curse but in the moment all they feel is the rage and resentment from the past.

Their present selves are so far removed from these personas battling in the office that it's almost laughable, if it weren't so deadly of course. Now there's no reasoning with either of them, just unrestrained anger rather than the peace they had found. The curse makes you turn on the ones you love and in their case they're striking out at family they never knew they would have.

Regina rises at the taunt, the fury clear behind her eyes, "You want it that way Snow, fine, that's how you shall have it." She flicks her wrist revealing a sword in each of their hands. They fly at each other, a cloud of rage and a desire to cause harm. They fight viciously and without much afterthought striking with the intent to wound.

It's the queen who stumbles first colliding roughly with a cabinet and pausing for a moment as she recovers from being winded. Snow grins darkly spotting her opportunity before lunging at Regina and running her sword right through her.

Two seconds too late the curse breaks.

Snow comes to her senses to see Regina gasping for air and paling as blood pools on her stomach. In other circumstances they might have laughed at how strange the evil queen get up looks on Regina, how it no longer fits her at all. They'd have hugged and apologised and carried on as they were – a family united.

If only that was the case.

Instead Regina is falling, collapsing into Snow's arms as terror wracks through both Snow and Charming. He runs out of the cell moving to his wife and Regina. Years ago he might have lauded over this scene, the Evil Queen defeated and them all safe. Now however they've all saved each other multiple times and the last thing he wants is Regina to die.

"No," Snow cries out as she holds Regina close and tries frantically to stop the bleeding, "Oh god what have I done?"

"S'okay," Regina mumbles weakly, "Cursed."

"I don't care that we were cursed!" Snow retorts, "I stabbed you. I stabbed you. Regina please don't die. Just don't die."

"Always so stubborn," Regina coughs before grasping for Snow's hand. Snow squeezes it softly desperately praying and pleading for Regina to survive this, "Tell Em…..Henry…..that I love them."

"Tell them yourself," Snow says hopefully.

There's a bang as the station doors fly open and they hear Emma cry out, "Regina! Mom! Dad!" clearly searching for family to happily reunite with. Emma and Henry run in only to skid to a stop. Emma's blood runs cold as she sees her true love dying and bleeding in her mother's arms.

Regina feared hurting others whilst under the influence of the Shattered sight curse. Emma feared what others would do, it would appear both fears were well-founded but sadly unprepared for.

Henry and Emma run towards them all. There are no happy hugs or joyful reunions right now, just terror at losing one of their own. "Mom!" Henry cries out.

"Hen-" Regina says, her voice breaking weakly, "I love you."

"I love you too Mom," Henry replies, "But I need you okay so don't die. Just don't die!" he begs desperately. He cannot lose her. They're a family again now and he loves it, he loves both his Moms and he cannot lose either of them. He spent so long angry at his mother, never seeing her for anything more than the evil queen. Now he sees there's so much more and he wants them all to be together.

Seeing her there in her evil queen costume he knows that she is most certainly not her worst self. She's just his Mom and he wants her to live.

Emma moves over carefully taking Regina from Snow's arms. She doesn't ask what happened, she can tell just by looking at the stab wound and her mother's appalled guilty expression. She cradles her true love gently wary of making things worse.

It took them so long to get to this point. They had to fight through Neverland, new curses, memory loss and Wicked Witches before finally figuring out what they wanted. Truth be told sleeping with each other began as a stress/lust relief before growing into something more. They fell in love without even realising it but now they both now and Emma cannot lose her.

Regina doesn't want to leave her either, not when she's so close to what she's wanted for so long – her happy ending.

"Em," Regina says with a weak smile, "I-" she coughs.

"I know," Emma says knowing the words Regina wants so desperately to stay. They've not yet confessed it to each other aloud but they both feel it and know it. Emma needs to say the words at least once. She needs Regina to know. "I love you," she admits, "I love you so much."

"I love you too," Regina replies.

"I don't want to say goodbye to you," Emma sobs.

A stray tear rolls down Regina's face too, "If you have to at least do it with a kiss."

Emma nods. She's never denied Regina anything and she's not about to start in this moment. In this horrible, terrifying moment she would give everything if it meant Regina lived. Tears roll down her cheeks as she bends over pressing her lips against Regina's in a slow, soft, loving kiss. If this is goodbye then Emma wants to make it last.

If she could she'd make it last forever with a kiss.

There's a ripple of light as she pours all her love into the kiss and as the wave passes through them both Emma hopes with all her heart that it means what she thinks it does. She doesn't dare break the kiss to find out. If she does and Regina is gone, well she doesn't know what she'll do.

Then suddenly Regina is kissing her back and she dares to open her eyes. She smiles as she meets warm but exhausted caramel eyes staring up at her. Emma cautions a look at Regina's stomach and sees the wound gone. "I healed you," she says in awe, "I healed you!" With that sobs escape her lips a culmination of her earlier terror and present joy as she brings Regina into an embrace. Regina hugs her back lolling against her as they both cry together from fear of what they could have lost and elation from the future they now can face together.

They'll face the ramifications of the curse tomorrow. The fact that there is a tomorrow for them both is more than enough for now.

Regina meets Emma's exhausted gaze seeing how nearly losing her has taken its toll on all of them, "Let's just go home," she says reaching out for Henry who eagerly embraces his mother overjoyed to fall into her hugs again like he did as a child.

Emma nods, "You're definitely going to wake up tomorrow right?"

Regina smiles, "Yes, you can wake me with a kiss."

_Thanks for reading :)_


End file.
